Taylor 614ce Review – A Top Shelf, Professional Level Acoustic Guitar

Since its start in 1974, Taylor Guitars has cultivated a respected reputation for making high-quality acoustic guitars that have incredible tone and playability. The Taylor 614ce continues in that tradition, bringing you a well-crafted instrument which checks all of the boxes for what it takes to be a professional level guitar.

Body & Neck

Taylor has never shied away from using only the best tonewoods on their guitars, and the 614ce is no exception. The grand auditorium-style body is constructed with a ‘torrified’ Sitka spruce top with maple back and sides. To be clear – it’s ‘torrified’, not ‘terrified’…and that refers to the special roasting process that Taylor performs to bring out the best tone characteristics.

A nice feature is a Venetian-style cutaway; it not only is aesthetically pleasing, but it also allows easy access to each of the 20 frets. Topping off the visual appeal is a hand-rubbed Brown Sugar stain finish that brings out the natural beauty of the wood.

The neck is constructed from maple as well, and it is capped with a West African ebony fretboard that is bound with the same ebony material. The distinctive ‘wing’ style fret marker inlays add an impressive visual flair as well.

Hardware

True to form, the hardware on the 614ce is among the best that Taylor has to offer. Topping off the list is the Taylor ES2 (Expression System) pickup and preamp system. The ES2 has a unique design that takes traditional piezo pickup technology and maximizes its tonal characteristics.

Instead of being mounted under the bridge saddle as most traditional piezo units are, the ES2 has three individual crystals (each with its own adjustment screw) that are mounted behind the bridge instead. This allows for a more natural tone with less of the traditional ‘squawk’ that is inherent to most piezo designs.

One feature that Taylor has not typically included with any of their preamp systems is an onboard tuner. While having one would be a welcome and convenient feature, it’s certainly not a deal-breaker. Headstock tuners are relatively cheap these days, and you can always resort to using a pedal-based tuner in your signal chain.

Smooth and accurate Taylor-branded nickel plated tuners are loaded on the headstock, and a Taylor deluxe hard shell case is included to protect your investment.

Sound

The combination of the ‘torrified’ Sitka top, the V-Class bracing, and the maple back and sides gives a tone that is typical Taylor. Playing the 614ce acoustically gives you individual note definition which is sharp and crisp, and chords come out rich and full.

Running through a PA or through your favorite acoustic guitar amplifier is where the 614ce really shines, though. The ingenious design of the ES2 system really makes a huge difference in allowing as natural of a sound as possible to be recreated, and most of that can be attributed to the piezo element placement. There is no multi-band EQ here, but you simply don’t need it. The simple three-knob control setup of volume, low frequency, and high frequency is all you need to craft amplified tones that are sure to impress any discerning audience.

Conclusion

To be clear, the Taylor 614ce isn’t a beginner or a mid-level instrument. It is priced firmly in the upper tier price range, and with good reason. The level of tone quality, playability, and visual attractiveness of the 614ce leaves no question in our minds that it is worth every penny.

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